


Can't Keep Me Locked Away

by malleusmaleficarum



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Eventual Smut, Fix-It, M/M, Vault of the Traveler Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 09:08:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5042368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malleusmaleficarum/pseuds/malleusmaleficarum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SPOILERS FOR VAULT OF THE TRAVELER</p><p>Rhys is now CEO of Atlas Corporation. As he's getting back on his feet and reviving the esteemed weapons manufacturer following his recent brush with death at the hands of Handsome Jack's AI, he begins experiencing some inexplicable events. But despite Jack's betrayal, Rhys may not be able to let go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can't Keep Me Locked Away

Rhys rolls the deactivated ECHO eye around in his flesh palm, feeling its dead weight wriggle like a wired worm that had been pulled up from the dried-up Pandoran earth. But its looks betrayed it, for Rhys knew what lay inside, blue LED light pulsating with a regular beat.

The electricity of it felt… angry.

He lets out a sigh as he shoves it back into his pocket and shifts his view upwards to the defunct Atlas Dome, huge foliage and fungi beneath glass triangles shining bright neon colors that reminded him of the light still shining in his pocket, unseen but still very much alive. And Rhys walks towards it for the second time, this time without his team. This time, without Jack tickling in his noggin.

***

_Three months later_

Much work had been accomplished after Rhys handed over the rights to Atlas and claimed ownership over the vanquished tech corporation. And he had done it all on his own. _Screw you, Jack_ , Rhys thought as he walked back to his office after yet another R&D meeting - there had been many of these since he'd gotten the company back together, and three months was hardly enough time to have everything back to the way it was. But still, all things considered, progress was absolutely _booming_ , and there were already plans for new weapons and vehicles, among many other technologies that would be available during the next fiscal quarter. Hyperion may have been wiped off of Elpis, but when he looked up at the sky at night through his vast office window, he felt no regrets. Only relief.

And, well, a bit of satisfaction too, of course. But mostly relief.

That relief came out in a long heavy sigh as he sank into his desk chair (which, okay, it wasn't nearly as magnificent as Jack's, but its comfort and size were nothing to be sneezed at.) His eyes closed, legs reclined atop his massive desk, and arms folded behind his head, Rhys figured he could afford a small nap at the expense of the company. After all, he'd never gotten any opportunity for even the smallest respites during his tenure at Hyperion, so taking advantage of his new status wouldn't hurt…

_Oh, Rhysie, Rhysie, Rhysie. This isn't naptime, you've got a multitrillion-dollar interplanetary company to run, cupcake! Up and at 'em!_

"Whoa-oh!" Rhys's head smacked right into the floor on the side where his ocular implant and port were located, the force nearly knocking him cold. "Ahhhh, shit shit _shit_ …" Rhys winked his left eye over and over, then smacked his palm against the port, but his vision in that eye remained pitch black with the occasional glitched-out feed reading "ERROR: CONTACT ATLAS MAINTENANCE TEAM IMMEDIATELY" in huge red letters. "No no no, we can't afford another one of these for at least another month. Shit, this is bad, this is very bad…"

_Took a little spill there, huh pumpkin? I'm sorry, shoulda given you a little warning first._

"Who the fuck is that?! This isn't funny, whoever you are!" Rhys was in full panic mode, arms out at his sides as he spun around, frantically searching the dark corners for one of his management team. Bryce and Cecile from Accounting especially loved to torture their CEO with practical jokes just to see him overreact.

_Hey, hey, calm down, kitten. No one's here but you. And with you comes… ha, something else. Or should I say… someone?_

The voice was a metallic echo, deep and unfamiliar. But he already knew who it was. They made it completely clear from the beginning. He just didn't want to believe it.

"J-Jack?" Rhys's eyes were fused shut; even though his old ECHO eye was no longer inserted and his new one had gone dark ( _Thanks, Atlas_ Rhys thought bitterly, immediately realizing how stupid that sounds coming from _the freaking_ _Atlas CEO_ ), he was still afraid he'd see the blue hologram form of Hyperion's deceased president. "But I - how did you…? -"

Jack's garbled voice let out a disturbing string of laughter, followed by a sigh of contentment. Rhys imagined him wiping an electronic tear from his eye.

 _I know right? You just can't seem to get rid of me, huh? To be honest, I'm just as confused as you are. I mean, you made pretty damn sure I couldn't come back, but here I am… Ah!_ Jack trailed off, sounding struck by some sort of realization. _How do I know this?_   thought Rhys, running his flesh hand through his hair.

"What, what is it?" The suspense was killing Rhys because he was just as desperate for answers as Jack seemed to be.

 _That glass case, with the little, ah, wormy piece of wiring? With the blue light? That's your ECHO eye isn't it._ It was more of a statement than a question. Rhys didn't like how sinister Jack's voice had become on that last part, and his cheeks burned hot with shame.

"Yeah, what… what about it?" His fingers were now digging into his neck to keep him grounded. 

There was a pause, and it was as if he could _feel_ Jack standing behind him, with a smirk plastered across his handsome goddamn face. _I knew you couldn't get rid of me, sweetheart. Not entirely._

Rhys was lost for words, his tongue feeling like a two-ton weight in his rapidly drying mouth. The nothingness in his left eye felt as if it was going to consume him as the sun set and the room grew darker and darker, smaller and smaller.

Jack let out a low chuckle, and his voice was louder this time, like he had crept up right behind Rhys and placed his mouth directly next to his ear. _What's the matter, Rhysie?_  he said, faux sympathy dripping from every word. _You didn't miss me? Not even a little_?

" _Shut. Up!"_ Rhys growled before picking up the case that held his old ECHO eye and hurled it at the window, tiny snowflakes of glass piercing through the air before settling into a heap on the floor.

The voice was gone now. He could feel the ghost's presence evaporate before him as he sunk to the floor, granules of glass cutting bloody speckles into his knees as he sobbed into his flesh hand.

**Author's Note:**

> It's only been a few hours since I finished Vault of the Traveler, so this is my way of dealing with my emotions. Also, sorry if I've made any lore/technical mistakes. I literally just started playing the Borderlands series like 1.5/2 weeks ago. 
> 
> (Some) answers will come with the next installment. I think. ;)
> 
> I'll try to update as often as possible, but I am a college student, and I'm going on a trip for my birthday this weekend, so life might get in the way.
> 
> Check me out on tumblr! murderinthecar.tumblr.com


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